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Eric the Red

Entry 706, on 2008-02-25 at 22:09:31 (Rating 2, Science)

Eric the Red was a Norse explorer who left Iceland in 982 to search of new land to the west. He explored Greenland and established a Norse settlement there in 986. OK, fascinating history lesson but what's my point? My point relates to what happened to this settlement. You will probably not be surprised to hear that my interest in this event also arose from a podcast which touched on the subjects of evolution, culture, and global warming.

This is what happened. When the Norse explorers settled in Greenland there were grassy valleys where they could grow hay for the winter so they could survive using farming - even through the Greenland winter. After about 100 years there was a little ice age and the areas capable of growing grass disappeared and their economic system completely failed. There were occasional visits to the area by trading ships but one of them eventually found the entire community dead.

The Inuit (also known as Eskimo) people of the area survived the disaster that the Norse didn't, so what was the difference? Basically it seems to have been an inability to adapt, and to face facts. The Inuits survived using a traditional hunter gatherer lifestyle, but the Norse settlers refused to use similar methods and stuck with their traditional farming which was doomed to failure because of the new climate. They couldn't see that they had to change and they were too stubborn to admit that their existing culture was wrong and the Inuit were right.

Is there any parallel here with the current situation with global climate change? Well there might be. I'm not suggesting that human civilisation will be wiped out in the same way as the Norse settlement was, but I am saying there is a similar level of denial amongst a significant part of the population today, including many politicians, and that will lead to major problems in the future.

Culture is a mixed blessing. It allows knowledge to be passed on to future generations but it can sometimes prevent change happening when it should. Its important to remain flexible. People who do things a certain way just because that's the way they always did them are similar to Eric the Red's descendants. People who refuse to accept that our existing economic system cannot continue to work in the future are showing the same lack of flexibility.

Comment 1 (1259) by Bales on 2008-03-11 at 21:58:24:

Commentary on Eric the Red recalls for me seeing a TV production on this same subject which may be what inspired your writing. Your views about adapting to the environment ring true enough, and this point holds true for NZ agriculture/farming practices right now, today, this week and next month.

The mass switch to dairying driven by financial need arises with the fall of sheep and beef production in economic returns. Add a few droughts to sharpen the pencil, money groups crashing in the woods and a nervous scene unfolds out there in the farm regions. What to do - nothing - run - or adapt and then if so which way?

Politicians will steer the way - right! Or should we move at all, after all not so long ago sheep were paying as well. So the thought of change is frequent, what to is often luck if getting right and tough when wrong. A walk back in time to Eric and his followers may find decisions were no easier then than now.

Comment 2 (1260) by OJB on 2008-03-11 at 22:16:48:

It was actually a podcast I heard, not a TV program. Regrettably people don't seem to learn from history so the farming community is likely to switch to dairying just in time for dairy prices to dive again. Plus dairying is responsible for more pollution than other forms of farming. Politicians are very hesitant to control business (especially farming) so this is actually likely to get out of control.

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